Kaesong (Korean: 개성시; Hanja: 開城市) is a special city (Korean: 특별시; Hanja: 特別市) in the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK). Kaesong was a former capital of the Koryo Dynasty (918–1392 CE), the first unified state of Korea, for several hundred years. It is located about 8km from the DMZ border with US-occupied south Korea. During the Korean War, Kaesong had been at first in the US-occupied zone, changing hands over the course of the war. As a result, it suffered far less bombing from the US side than other cities in the north, leaving many historic buildings intact. Twelve historic monuments and sites in Kaesong were inscribed to the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2013.[1][2]
Kaesong Industrial Area
The Kaesong Industrial Complex (KIC), located in the Kaesong Industrial Area (Korean: 개성공업지구) is an area that has been used for cooperative economic projects between north and south Korea. The first inter-Korean agreement on the construction of the KIC was signed in August 2000. The complex began construction in June 2003, and in December 2004, its first product was manufactured.
In 2013, the KIC was temporarily closed for six months, but in August of that year, the south and the north re-opened it and agreed to ensure normal operation of the KIC.[3]
By 2016, it housed 124 tenant companies with 55,000 north Korean workers and 80 business offices. However, in that year the south Korean government (under conservative President Park Geun-hye, who was later impeached and convicted on corruption charges) decided to suspend the complex as part of a pressure campaign against DPRK's nuclear development and missile tests. According to Dr. Jin-hyang Kim, the former head of the Kaesong Industrial Complex, the decision was made "without legal process" and based on rumors, including the "groundless statement" by the The Policy Innovation Committee of the south's Ministry of Unification that DPRK might possibly be diverting revenue from the KIC to weapons development projects.[3]
In 2020, DPRK demolished an inter-Korean joint liaison office building in the industrial area.[4]
After south Korea's conservative President Park, the somewhat more progressive liberal President Moon Jae-in was unable to deliver on his promise to reopen the KIC, as inter-Korean relations were further meddled with by U.S. demands for DPRK to abandon their nuclear development. South Korea's next President, Yoon Suk-yeol, a conservative who took office in 2022, has also expressed a denuclearization policy toward DPRK and not taken action toward resuming cooperation in the KIC.[4]
Panmunjom
Panmunjom (Korean:판문점; Hanja: 板門店), the village where the armistice talks were held, is located 8 km southeast of the Kaesong city center.[1]
External links
- Video: Visiting Kaesong | Travel to North Korea by DPRK Explained
- Video: Kaesong | North Korea's Ancient Capital | DPRK Cities by DPRK Explained
- Video: In the Kaesong of North Korea, once the ancient capital of the Goryeo Dynasty by SAO Documentary
- Zoomable, high-resolution panoramic photo of the Kaesong Industrial Area (DPRK360.com)
- 360° panoramic view of Kaesong Old Town seen from Janam Hill (DPRK360.com)
- Photos of Kaesong Old Town (DPRK360.com)
- 360° interactive virtual tour of Panmunjeom (DPRK360.com)
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 “Kaesong City Guide, North Korea.” Korea Konsult AB - Adventures to Another World! Archived 2023-03-25.
- ↑ “Traveling to Kaesong and the DMZ.” Young Pioneer Tours. May 2019. Archived 2022-12-05.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Wyeth, Grant. “Time to Reopen the Kaesong Industrial Complex? A Conversation with Jin-Hyang Kim.” The Diplomat. Thediplomat.com, 27 Feb. 2020. Accessed 6 Apr. 2023. Archived 2022-10-05.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 “The Future of the Kaesong Industrial Complex and Liberal Peace on the Korean Peninsula.” Thediplomat.com, 11 Nov. 2022, Accessed 6 Apr. 2023. Archived 2022-12-01.